Soccer: Kingz hunt for the new Dugdale

By TERRY MADDAFORD


It is official - the Football Kingz and coach Ken Dugdale have parted company. The search for his replacement is to start immediately.

Following a meeting between the club's general manager Peter Cox and Dugdale yesterday, the club issued the following statement: "The Football Kingz confirm that Ken Dugdale has resigned with effect from February 29, 2004, and after discussions with the club it has been agreed that he will cease all duties with the club effective as of today."

There obviously had been some ill feeling between the two parties, which led the club to add: "The Football Kingz unreservedly withdraws comments made on the web page which indicated that Ken Dugdale found the pressure and challenges faced by the club to have become too much for him or that his heart was not in the job.

"The club wishes to acknowledge the tremendous service Ken has given it over the last two years through some very difficult times."

The club also released the following from Dugdale's letter of resignation: "Please be advised that I give three months' notice from December 1 of my intention to resign the position of head coach at Kingz FC.

"It is regrettable that I have to tender my resignation, but I can no longer work effectively under the conditions imposed on myself, my support staff and most importantly the playing staff.

"My integrity and standards are compromised constantly and the latest match conditions have caused me to consider my position as unworkable."

Cox said Dugdale would be paid the remaining three months of his contract.

Cox plans to have discussions with stand-in coach Tommy Mason and youth development coach Tony Jasper over the next two or three days.

"We have no intention of advertising for a coach at this time," said Cox. "Maybe we will do that later this month or in January as had been our intention as we looked ahead to next season.

"Next year's coach needs to be in place sooner rather than later. I expect if we are happy with the specifications for the new-look league we will be competing with two Australian teams for one place."